COMMERCE – Playing their first home games in 28 days, the No. 23 ranked Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team picked up two wins over Southeastern Oklahoma State by scores of 5-1 and 10-4, respectively, on Tuesday evening at the John Cain Family Softball Complex.
 
The Lions extend their winning streak to eight, while improving their overall record to 14-4. The Savage Storm fall to 10-10 on the season. Tuesday was the first home game since the season-opening doubleheader against Augustana.
 
Alyssa LeBlanc (Katy) totaled three hits and three RBIs in the two games, while also picking up the win in the circle in game two. She had a game-tying home run in game two as well. MacKenzie Dugi (St. Hedwig – East Central) hit the game-winning three-run home run in game one.


POSTGAME INTERVIEW
 
GAME 1: No. 23 A&M-Commerce 5, Southeastern Oklahoma State 1
The Savage Storm went down in order in the first two innings and the Lions managed to have just one runner in the first, which they stranded. In the bottom of the second, Sabrina Anguiano (Riverside, Calif.) reached base via a hit by pitch and quickly moved to second on a single by Uxua Modrego (Burlada, Spain).
 
Both Anguiano and Modrego scored on the home run down the right field line by Dugi that stayed just fair, that was her second home run in as many games.
 
The Lions added two more in the bottom of the third inning. Leo Terry (Emory – Rains) led off the inning with a single. LeBlanc hit a bunt single to advance Terry, but a throwing error on the play allowed Terry to score and LeBlanc to move to third. Anguiano plated LeBlanc with a single to left.
 
Emily Otto (Lamar Consolidated) was no hitting the Savage Storm through the first three innings. A single by Peyton Streetman in the fourth broke it up and she scored the only Savage Storm run on a double by Alexis Lambert.
 
The Lions had just two runners reach base after the third inning, one was stranded and the other was retired on a double play. Southeastern Oklahoma State had runners at first and second in the sixth with one out, but Otto picked up a strikeout and a fly out. The Savage Storm retired in order in the seventh.
 
Terry and Anguiano collected two hits each in game one and both had a stolen base as well, as did Alina Jasso (San Benito). Otto collected her seventh win of the season, moving to 7-1 on the season. She tossed seven innings, giving up one run on three hits and a walk. She punched out six.
 
Amberlyn Walsworth took the loss for the Savage Storm, she also went the distance, allowing three earned runs in six innings, while giving up seven hits and striking out two. Streetman had two of the three hits for the Savage Storm in game one.
 
GAME 2: No. 23 A&M-Commerce 10, Southeastern Oklahoma State 4
The Savage Storm scored the first run of game two in the second. Jaleigh Durst hit an RBI single to drive in Kamarie Wallace, who reached via a double to right center. The Lions had a runner reach third in the second, but could not plate her.
 
Chloe Reneau (Garrison) scored the game tying run for the Lions in third. She reached base safely via a single, stole two bases, and scored on a single by Dugi. Southeastern Oklahoma State took the lead right back with an RBI bunt single from Lambert that scored Kady Fryrear, who doubled and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt.
 
LeBlanc led off the bottom of the fourth with a home run to left center, her second of the season. Two more runs came for the Lions in the fifth. Madison Schaefer (Frisco – Independence) singled, advanced to second a passed ball. Terry drew a walk and Kuea Angilau (Salt Lake City, Utah) came in as a pinch hitter and reached base via a hit by pitch.
 
With the bases loaded, LeBlanc drew a four-pitch walk to bring in Schaefer. Avery Boley (Fort Worth – Nolan Catholic) also walked on four pitches to score Terry. The Savage Storm threw 10 straight balls, eight coming with the bases loaded.
 
The Savage Storm bounced back once again and tied the game in the sixth. Wallace hit a sacrifice fly that scored Bailey Beard and Kyia Monahwee singled to center to bring home Fryrear.
 
The Lions scored six runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth. Reneau reached base via double, Dugi followed with a walk. Schaefer put together a 10-pitch at-bat and hit a hard single to center that scored Reneau just before the throw. Terry was hit by pitch to load the bases with one out. Ayanna Williams (Round Rock – Cedar Ridge) was hit by a pitch as well with the bases loaded, scoring on the play was Dugi.
 
LeBlanc came up to bat with the bases loaded and hit a soft single to the pitcher. Schaefer beat out the throw to make it 7-4. Boley followed with a single down the left field line that just stayed fair and brought home Williams and Terry. The Savage Storm put a runner on in the seventh, but it did not advance past first.
 
Both LeBlanc and Boley had three RBIs each, both going 2 for 3. Schaefer and Reneau also had two hits each. LeBlanc improved to 3-2 on the season, tossing seven innings of four-run ball. She allowed eight hits and two walks, while punching out three. Cheyenne Mahy tossed 5.1 innings and Walsworth got the loss, giving up six earned runs in 0.1 innings.
 
UP NEXT
A&M-Commerce heads back on the road out west to start Lone Star Conference play at Eastern New Mexico for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. mountain standard time on Friday and at West Texas on Sunday at Noon.